Category: buildings

A Short Break in London – Part 4

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 28, 2018

This is number 4 in this mini-series about our London break, where I will take you along the South Bank.

Surprises along the way included the “New Globe” theatre building which seems so out of place but fascinating too, and odd green spaces being enjoyed as relaxation spots.

A railway station in the air was also unexpected, totally enclosed inside a bridge over the Thames.

As we reached the end of our riverside wanderings we turned away from the Thames towards a street where we could find a taxi. We were faced with the side of an old building which bore the scars of its many former uses. It was amazing to see it still fully in use.

We passed the famous OXO Building and reached another open green space, a park for the local residents being used on this sunny day. We were amazed to find tiny allotments producing fruit and veg inside “cages” of wire.

A morning in the Tate followed by a South Bank wander made for a most enjoyable day, which was to finish with an evening at “Ronnie Scott’s” jazz club in Soho. We had to return home by train the following afternoon so post 5 will be about that final morning’s wanderings.

Tags architecture, bridges, Left Bank, London

architecture buildings colours light

A Short Break in London – Part 3

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 25, 2018
1 Comment on A Short Break in London – Part 3

In part 3 of this mini-series of posts sharing our London visit I will be looking at the art pieces in the Tate that attracted me most. A very random selection! But to start off I will share with you more photos I took of indications of the building’s previous use, featuring the use of concrete.

There were so many works of art that I loved at the gallery it is hard to make a selection but here goes. In the gloom of the concrete of the old parts of the building videos played so I took a couple of stills to show how they shone in the darkness.

On into the main galleries with their pristine white walls pieces of art stood out in almost each one.

A remarkable floor attracted many of the gallery visitors to exerience its magic. We were no exception. The floor somehow reacted to body heat and created white images of hands and feet. It was a strange experience!

The sculptural pieces on display were so varied and we all reacted very differently to each one.

I shall finish off now with a selection of my favourite art work at the Tate Modern.

We enjoyed being back in London so much we are determined to return in the spring.

Tags art, art galleries, London, sculpture, Tate Modern

architecture buildings light light quality Uncategorized

A Short Break in London – Part 1

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 20, 2018
2 Comments on A Short Break in London – Part 1

Since I had a major operation to rebuild my right leg, I find myself being able to tackle things I have not done for years and I am gaining confidence to have a go at them. Jude and I have not visited London for decades because of my disabilities, but the time came in early autumn to give it a go. So we relied on daughter, Jo and son-in-law Rob, to organise our London adventure and guide us through our time there.

We managed and it felt wonderful! I think Jude, Jo and Rob were as delighted by it all as I was. I also realised a life’s dream! We spent an evening at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho. It was just as good as I expected and an experience that stays with me every moment.

But lots else happened, not just the world’s most famous jazz club!

The hotel we stayed in, Citizen M Tower Bridge, afforded us the most special of views looking out over the Thames and straight at The Tower.

On our first evening in the Capital we wandered towards the Thames to dine in a restaurant on its banks. There is something very special about cities at night.

After a good night’s sleep in our i-Pad controlled room, we took a taxi to the Tate Modern, and that will be the subject of my next London post.

Tags architecture, light, London, night time

architecture buildings landscapes Wales

Discovering Anglesey’s ancient places – Lligwy Part 1

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date September 14, 2018
1 Comment on Discovering Anglesey’s ancient places – Lligwy Part 1

We visited some prehistoric sites in early autumn when we enjoyed a short family break and I reported what we found in an earlier blog post. We returned again to the island this spring with more of the family and decided to find more of Anglesey’s ancient sites.

We visited the village of Lligwy to enjoy the beach and explore its historic ruins. We had high expectations and when we got there we discovered ruins of stone buildings and they were so fantastic they surpassed all our expectations. The ancient site is known as Din Lligwy and was home to romano-british peoples.

As we passed over fields of pasture we spotted an ancient church to our right which we decided to look at on our return journey. Our path climbed slowly uphill until we reached a wood of mixed trees with so much colour underneath provided by wildflowers especially Bluebells and Red Campions. The contrasts of light and shade spotlighted beautiful areas of colour and scent filled the shadows. A group of inquisitive young heifers tried to come with us and they took a lot of dissuasion.

On exiting the woodland we burst out into the light to see an ancient village set out before us, far better preserved than we ever expected. We set off to explore the stone walls and enclosures. The group of buildings were a fortified group of hut circles, including the more impressice chieftain’s hut, which boasted a stone pillared entranceway.

As a family we have always enjoyed exploring such sites together and as this was a family holiday with Jude and I, our daughter and son, son-in-law and daughter-in-law and our granddaughter, we could appreciate this amazing place together. Even our 18month old granddaughter was captivated by the place and explored along side us.

Mother nature added her own sense of mystery to the site by establishing plants on the stones, in cracks and fissures, adding a layer of green.

As we left the village we made our way back towards the lane where we had parked up and walked via the old church. From there we intended to find a cromlech nearby. We will lok at both of these in the follow up post to this.

Tags ancient sites, Anglesey, old churches, prehistoric features

architecture buildings landscapes Wales

Anglesey Part 2-ancient places

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date May 22, 2018

One of the aspects of Anglesey we love so much is its long, long history with signs of man’s influence on the island going back to pre-historic times. As a family we have always enjoyed visiting historic sites, castles, cromlechs, burial mounds etc.

Anglesey has plenty to offer in this field and during our short early September break we took advantage of a few almost dry days to discover a few places of neolithic significance. We set off to find a cromlech and a burial mound, which are not the easiest of places to come across.

The burial mound, called Bryn Celli Ddu which means the Mound in the Dark Grove was 5000 years old and was a passage tomb built to align with the rising sun on the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice. We wandered along a zig-zagging path between fields, with hedges hanging over us giving the impression of a dark tunnel. We seemed to have been walking a long way before a view sudden opened up before us, much lighter and open. There sat the barrow! We were amazed how good a condition it was in and the fact it was partly open to explore the passageway into the centre.

Once inside we waited a while until our eyes became used to the light and explored further, discovering beautiful carvings and offerings left by modern day visitors, a beautiful link to the past.

We could look back out towards today and daylight. We felt deeply moved by this experience and couldn’t wait to drive off to find our next magical prehistoric place.

The cromlech was very close to our holiday cottage so did not take long to find. On the walk to the ancient stones we noticed this stand of wind-pruned stunted trees, a feature of this windswept island.

Tags ancient sites, Anglesey, burial mounds, cromlechs, prehistoric features, Wales

architecture buildings the sea the seaside the shore Wales

Anglesey – Part 1 – A day out in Beaumaris

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date May 20, 2018
3 Comments on Anglesey – Part 1 – A day out in Beaumaris

We love Anglesey and our favourite seaside place must be Beaumaris with its castle and its little pier. It is a seaside town in miniature. In the early autumn of 2017 Jude, the Undergardener and I spent a short break on Anglesey with our son Jamie, daughter-in-law Sam and granddaughter Arabella, and we just had to share our love of the place with them. We had taken Jamie there as a child but Sam, having lived her childhood in France and then moving to Leicester had never been before and baby Arabella was too young to have visited yet in her short life.

We took a wander along the sea front and to the end of the pier and back.

Having arrived at the little town mid-morning we needed to find a refreshment place prior to exploring the castle, and discovered this friendly cafe close to the castle alongside the bowling green. It looked very bright with its cerise and green coloured furniture.

From there we passed this old cottage with its typical cottage styled garden before arriving at the castle itself.

It must be one of the most photogenic castles in the UK, as well as being of great historic importance and significance. Jude has given me this information concerning the castle as I am no historian.

The construction of Beaumaris Castle began in 1295 and was built by Edward 1st, the last in a programme of castle building in Wales by the English to subjugate the Welsh. The castle was never finished however as money ran out! It is unusual in that it has a set of walls within walls for extra fortification. A surprising feature is its gateway to the sea, a tidal dock which allowed ships direct access to the castle to deliver supplies.

We had last visited the castle many years ago and had forgotten just how beautiful it was. Jude, being an historian looked at it from a different perspective from my aesthetic viewpoint, but we both absolutely love it.

Tags Anglesey, architecture, Beaumaris, Beaumaris Castle, castles, castles of Wales, seaside, Wales

architecture buildings landscapes light light quality photography the sea the seaside the shore Wales

New Year Day at the Seaside

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 3, 2018
1 Comment on New Year Day at the Seaside

We try to spend New Year’s Day at the seaside for a coast walk unless the weather stops us. Sadly for the last few years the weather has done just that by throwing strong winds and heavy rains at us.

But this year, 2018, we decided we would go passing through the promised rain and under the heavy clouds and planned to reach the seaside just as the weather was forecast to clear. But we were lucky, really lucky. The rain stopped as we left home and we enjoyed a dry drive through the mid-Wales hills to the coastal university town of Aberwystywth.

I will share my photos of the day as a gallery – enjoy. We walked from the pier to the end of the promenade and back again watching the sea and sky change with every step.

So we can now carry on with the journey that 2018 will take us on. We hope that the first day of 2019 will be fine and bright just right for our next annual New Year seaside walk!

Tags Aberwystwyth, Mid Wales, sea, seascapes, seashore, seaside, Wales

architecture buildings gardens gardens open to the public

Harvington Hall – a great place for afternoon tea.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 10, 2017
2 Comments on Harvington Hall – a great place for afternoon tea.

Jude the Undergardener and I have become very fond of indulging in afternoon teas, a true English tradition which has been revived here in the UK in recent years. Our children often treat us to one as a present and we easily find reasons to treat ourselves with friends.

It seems such a civilised English way of giving ourselves a treat even when not celebrating any event. Our visit to Harvington Hall however was a present from our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Arriving at this unusual-looking and very ancient building you immediately sense you are in for a special treat. The walk up the garden path to the entrance took us over a stone bridge over a moat and gave us beautiful views of the frontage. Near the gate was what we imagined to be one of the most ancient trees we had ever met.

As we had allowed ourselves a few hours to spare for a casual wander around both inside and outside the hall we indulged in coffee and cake and of course we could check up on the tea room!

Once fully refreshed we set out on an exploration of the outside of the rambling range of buildings that constituted the hall. There was a surprise discovery awaiting around every corner and through every doorway. We found little secret gardens, alleyways and more rooms.

Our wanderings prepared our thirst and our appetite for our afternoon tea. It was a feast well worth the waiting.

We had just enough time after our refreshments to explore the interior secrets Harvington Hall had awaiting us, doorways with ancient locks, old sculleries and bedrooms fully furnished and even original ancient wall decorations.

We had discovered what it meant to be treated to a traditional afternoon tea at Harvington Hall, dainty sandwiches and fancy cakes with plenty of freshly brewed English Tea plus a whole lot more, a full afternoon discovering and experiencing the architectural and social secrets hidden within its ancient walls.

Tags afternoon tea, architecture, Harvington Hall

autumn autumn colours buildings colours garden buildings garden design garden photography garden seating gardening gardens gardens open to the public National Trust The National Trust Wales

Are you sitting comfortably? Part 11 of a very occasional series.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 29, 2017
2 Comments on Are you sitting comfortably? Part 11 of a very occasional series.

Here we are back with a new selection of interesting and unusual garden seats, our 11th collection.

To start with I will share with you a selection of garden seats we discovered in the wonderful huge gardens at Bodnant, a National Trust Property in North Wales and then move on to another of their properties but this time much nearer home in the West Midlands, Hanbury Hall. All these seats were discovered within a week in November. We hope you enjoy the selection we have chosen for you.

Bodnant Garden

These three simple slate benches are beautifully placed matching their background of strata slate layers and the grey stone paving. They look very different whether they are wet or dry. They are pale greys when dry but much darker and glossier when wet. Their chunky design fits their place so well.

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Inside the garden we wandered through the new Winter Garden and down towards the dingle, a wooded steep valley with a stream running through it. All the seats were quite ordinary designs manufactured from wood, including one that is reminiscent of an Edwin Lutzen’s design, but they were made special by their placements either raised up, surrounded by harmonious plantings and all giving beautiful views across the garden. These view points allowed us to look at close up garden plantings, larger borders or even long views along the valley or over tree tops.

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These last two pics show seating deeper in wooded areas and illustrate how well seats sit in their environment when manufactured in the natural material of the place itself. Special secretive seating where birdsong shares the space with you.

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Hanbury Hall

Again the seats at Hanbury were often very simple and ordinaary in design but they are situated in very special places, special buildings, within special planting.

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So we have shared with you our selection of garden seats that we enjoyed in November. We hope you enjoyed sharing them with us. We enjoyed trying most of them out!

Tags Bodnant, Bodnant Garden, garden seating, garden seats, Hanbury Hall, Natiional Trust Gardens, National Trust, North Wales, Welsh gardens

architecture buildings landscapes reflections the sea the seaside the shore

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside! – Burnham-on-Sea

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 18, 2017

We do love to be beside the seaside, beside the sea, as followers of my blog have probably realised already. Is is great when we discover another seaside town as we did recently on a visit to countryside along the Somerset and Devon border. We were looking at a few gardens down there and fancied some time beside the sea so made our way to Burnham-on-Sea to see what we would find there.

We are always delighted and excited if we learn that the seaside town we are visiting has a pier so Burnham was onto a winner where we were concerned. We also like to see a sense of humour wherever we go and to see B-on-S boasting that it has the smallest pier in the UK rather than the more usual longest, oldest etc. So that was our first port of call, off in search of the tiny pier. We soon spotted its white roof glaring in the sunshine in strong contrast to the deep blue sky.

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Walking along the promenade we could look down onto the beach to sea what the sandy beach lovers were getting up to. As usual people at the seaside become creative as they discover their creative streak even if it is for just one day.

Play leaders were busy providing entertainment for families of young children with games all things pirate and even had a pirate ship mock up on the sands. The ice cream man realised the potential business opportunity of parking on the sand nearby.

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Come for a walk along the promenade with us now and see what was happening through the lens of my trusty Nikon.

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We walked back along the sands rather than retracing our steps along the prom. This gave a very different perspective and afforded the opportunity to take a close look at the sand and the patterns in it.

The most amazing and surprising discovery on the sands was the colourful wooden lighthouse. In my next post I will share my photos of this incredible construction. Burnham-on-Sea was a surprising place and provided us with a most enjoyable day out with added surprises!

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